Iraqi no-fly zones

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No-fly zone detail

The Iraqi no-fly zones (NFZs) were proclaimed by the United States, United Kingdom and France after the Gulf War of 1991 to protect Kurds in the north and Shiite Muslims in the south. Iraqi aircraft were forbidden from flying inside the zones. The policy was enforced by US, UK and French aircraft patrols until France withdrew in 1998. United Nations Security Council Resolution 688 was cited as legitimizing the operations.

There was originally the NFZ in the north of Iraq after the Gulf War. In August 1992 the NFZ in the south to the 32nd parallel was established [1], but in 1996 it was expanded to the 33rd parallel. [2] From 1992 to the United States-led coalition invasion of Iraq in 2003, there were two NFZs in Iraq. The northern NFZ extended from the 36th parallel northwards, while the southern extended from the 33rd parallel southwards. The northern NFZ was initially part of Operation Provide Comfort relief operations to a persecuted Kurdish minority in Iraq, and was followed on by Operation Northern Watch. The southern NFZ was maintained by Operation Southern Watch.

When Operation Desert Storm ended in 1991, the safety of Kurds who were fleeing from Iraqi persecution from the south became an issue, and Operation Provide Comfort began. This operation essentially created a Northern NFZ to Iraqi military aircraft. The operation provided the Kurdish population with humanitarian aid and reassurance of safe skies. However, this was marred by a friendly-fire incident on 14 April 1994 when two United States Air Force F-15 Eagle fighters mistakenly shot-down two United States Army Blackhawk helicopters killing twenty-six personnel. Operation Provide Comfort officially ended on the 31st of December 1996.

Following Operation Provide Comfort, the United States continued to watch over the northern skies with the launching of Operation Northern Watch on January 1st, 1997. Operation Northern Watch continued to provide air security to the Kurdish population in the north. American and British aircraft continuously maintained the integrity of the NFZ, receiving anti-aircraft fire from Iraqi forces almost daily. The operation ran until its conclusion on May 1st, 2003.

In the south, Operation Southern Watch was underway to watch over the persecuted Shi'ite populations. This operation was launched on August 27th, 1992 with the mission of preventing further inhumane acts against civilian populations. The operation continued until it transitioned to Operation Southern Focus in June of 2002. The United States and its allies carried out military strikes against Iraqi targets after being fired on by Iraqi anti-aircraft installations. The Iraqi government in turn, claimed the NFZ were illegal. Despite illegal resupply of French and Russian surface to air missiles to Iraq, the NFZ operations had the effect of reducing Iraqi ability to counter air strikes prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

The NFZs effectively ceased to exist with the beginning of the Iraq War in March 2003.